The Band
by SmellDRoses
Summary: Serena's mother died, and so she ends up getting fostered and joining a band
1. Chapter 1

The Band

By SmellDRoses

Chapter One: If I wanted Your Opinion, I'd ask for it

Authors Note: A Load of these songs will be from Evanescence, because to tell you the truth, they work. Please review and tell me what you think. There is no scout action in this story, to tell you the truth, it wouldnt have worked if there was. The rest is self-explainitory!

* * *

The Band

Chapter One

* * *

"I'm sorry she had to die, Serena, but she was suffering, she wasn't going to get better. She had a terminal illness; she is free from pain now. Do you think she would like to see you act this way? She loved you and didn't want to leave you; you know this better than I." Monday morning. It was unusually quiet; nobody was around the school except the two teens on the grass outside the front entrance of Haddock School. The building looked more like a prison than a school, it didn't have bars on the windows; it was just so gloomy.

"Bug off Darien." Growled Serena. She didn't want company; she was so fed up with life.

Serena's mother had died the previous week from lung cancer, Serenity had smoked and was addicted to cigarettes, she smoked a couple of packets a day and never stopped. In the past she had tried to give it up, but she got too weak and started up again. Apart from that Serenity was a wonderful woman, the Tsukino family had been well off, Serena's grandfather was a business tycoon and when both of Serenity's grandparents had died they got the money. The family was loved by the whole neighborhood, they were kind and thoughtful, and didn't flaunt their wealth.

"I was only trying to help, God knows why." Darien Chiba told Serena, hurt by the pure venom in her voice. Darien had jet black hair; which fell into his beautiful navy blue eyes. His body toned and on the edge of muscular because of the amount of extreme sports he did. "Will you ever sing again?" Darien tried to change the mood and subject.

"Dunno. Why?" She tugged at her coal black hair that she had dyed in an annoyed way, her foot tapped along the ground, waiting impatiently for what Darien was about to say. Since her mother had died, her heart had turned cold, her old friends worried for her, she was becoming so rebellious.

"Could you try out for our band? We need a chick singer, well, that's what the rest of the group says." Darien pleaded. He said it in a rush, knowing that Serena's reaction was not going to be nice. They had been friends for a time but when her mum died she started to stay away from the group, go off on her own. When asked she said she preferred to be alone, to think.

"No way! I gave it up when Mum got ill. And anyway, I wont have enough time to hang about, learning your songs." Serena's eyes told another story though, she really wanted to do it but she didn't want to dishonor her mother.

Looking into her eyes, which were a bright blue, the colour of forget-me-nots, Darien's will got stronger. He wanted the old Serena back. "Please? You have an amazing voice."

"I dunno, it won't feel right. I'll think about it." She stumbled, Poor Serena. She was really taking this hard.

"Listen, I don't think that your mum would encourage you to stop singing because of her leaving, she was the one who encouraged you to sing in the first place! If only you could remember the good times you spent with her, when she was alive, I know it sounds harsh but everyone has to die, Serena. Please try out." Darien spoke what was in his heart for once. He really liked Serena and had even fancied her old self. He couldn't help it. She was so sincere, kind and caring. He knew that she had changed but he could still see the same eyes starting out under the alien face, maybe if she did join the band she would change back to how she used to be; The smiling, happy teenager before the events that had scarred her for life forever.

"Well, I suppose…" Serena was crumbling. She really loved to sing, but was it right?

"Thanks, Serena." Darien rushed off to class before he hugged her; he knew that if he had she would have defiantly refused to go to the audition.

"Whatever." With that she went off to another direction, to the art hall.

* * *

"Good morning Miss Tsukino. How nice of you to come. Nice make-up." Mr Sneershope was a mean teacher and very bitter. He had no feelings for those in his classes and didn't care that Serena's mother was deceased. "Today, we are going to paint with the heart. Will you find it hard to paint your mind? We shall see. If I like your paintings I will frame them. I want complete honesty. Get to it. Draw with pencils and then paint with the acrylic paints displayed. Try to limit you palate."

Serena drew what she felt all right. In the centre of the page was a twisted figure, she was wearing ripped black clothes and chains; the background was dark blue and black swirls. There was a woman with her hands on the shoulders of the girl, her whole being was the palest blue and her blue/gold hair swept away from her face like there was a wind in front of her whereas the other girl was untouched by the wind. The woman with her hands on the other's shoulders had intense blue eyes.

"Cool picture. Bit too sad for me though. If you ever want to talk, you can talk to me. I hope you know that." Brad Whitten was another one of Darien's friends. He hadn't known Serena that well but he had seen her around before the death and he had liked her. He too preferred the old Serena though.

"Thanks but no thanks." Serena snipped. She knew Brad had meant to be nice but she didn't care. It wasn't wanted. Brad walked quickly off. He reminded himself to never speak to her again until she had got over her mother. He hoped it wasn't too long.

"Miss Tsukino. Very good, I'm impressed. I really think that this is artist material, brilliant. Good enough to be picture of the week! But, well, I know that loosing family is hard but it will soon pass and simply become a scar in your memory. Whatever you do, don't try to forget her though, it hurts even more."

"Thanks for the ego boost, Mr Sneershope."

"That is no way to speak to a teacher, apologize or go down to the principal's office." Mr Sneershope was getting annoyed with Serena, this was happening oh too often for his liking.

"I'll go to the office, thanks."

* * *

"Miss Tsukino, I hear you have been sent here for back chatting your art teacher, how many times have you come here this semester, once every lesson? I think you are beginning to like me so much you get into trouble just to see me. This must stop. I am giving you a role model who will take you to each class and help you to behave. Okay?" Madame Doldor, the Principal, was seated in her black chair, leaning forward and looking over her glasses to see the troubled teen, i.e. me.

"No." I sniped back, why couldn't they all just stop interfering in my life?

"There you are again, back chatting. I will go and get your role-model, don't try to leave." Dosseldorf left the room.

"Cow." I muttered once I had found that Principal Doldor had locked the door.

A little later Doldor came back with Darien. "Hello Serena, this is Darien, who you should already know. I will let you leave to your next lesson, what is it, Serena?" Dosseldorf looked pleased; maybe Darien had volunteered to help her?

"Killing People With Hockey Sticks. Why?" I said oh so sweetly and sarcastically. I didn't know why it was any of their business. And the sneakiness of that bitch of a head teacher, the 'role model' being one of my ex friends.

"I take that is Physical Education. I want you, Darien, to stick by Serena like glue. Okay?" Briskly Principal Doldor took charge.

"Yes, Principal Doldor. Come on Serena." Darien said respectfully.

"No." I said holding tightly to the armchairs. Darien simply bent down and put his arm behind me, between my back and chair and heaved me easily out of my chair.

Darien frowned at me. And whispered to me so that Principal Bitch couldn't hear. "Serena, you have to eat something, you are starving yourself!"

In reply I bit his finger hard to tell him to let me go.

"Are you going to walk to the next class?" Dosseldorf asked sweetly.

"I'm going to walk, but not to my next class." I left the room running, Darien behind me.

* * *

"Leave me alone, I don't want to be with you anymore!" Serena shouted behind her to Darien, she ran out the school and to the Park and climbed a tree.

Darien climbed after her, glad he played so much sport, for someone so small she was bloody agile. He sat down next to her, the tree branch was strong enough to hold them both.

"Shhh. Calm down. There is no point shouting, I'm sitting next to you. Serena, look at yourself, what would your mum say?" Darien told her calmly after she had quieted.

"You have no right to speak to her, she died because of me."

"No she didn't."

"She did." She paused and turned haunted eyes upon the boy. "I heard a crash, I went downstairs and found that my Dad was back, I ran to hug him but I noticed something was wrong; something was different about him. I stopped running to him and looked behind him, the door had been smashed open and my mum was on the floor, surrounded by glass. Dad said that I was going to live with him, I tried to reach the phone but he had taken it off the hook. I told him that I needed the toilet, my mobile was upstairs, he let me go. I phoned the police and they came, they said it was too late for my mum, she had died." Serena found it hard to breathe; she kept getting flashes of that terrible night.

"But I thought that she had died from lung cancer?" Darien was puzzled

"No. She would have but my own father killed her. She was so weak, that in a way, the lung cancer had killed her, she found it hard to breathe."

"But that wasn't your fault, it was your father that had killed her."

"He had told me to live with him the month before, saying, bad things would happen if I didn't. Now bad things have happened!" Serena's eyes filled with tears, but she angrily dashed them away.

"But it isn't your fault, you can't help it if you want to live with your mother, not your father. I know your mother and I don't think she would be happy that you are blaming yourself, or that you are being so coldhearted, come on, I'll take you on a tour of this town."

"No."

"Trust me. Give me a chance, everyone should have a chance to prove themselves." Before she had a chance to resist, Darien climbed down from the tree, and caught hold of Serena's foot and caught her when she fell.

* * *

I took Serena to the places that I knew she had loved, first to the ancient oak tree in the Public Park, surrounding the tree were roses, millions of them. There were pink roses, yellow roses, red roses, white roses… Roses in every colour imaginable, all in bloom too.

Serena gasped and looked at me with surprise, momentarily loosing the frown constantly on her face. "You remembered? Years ago I told you I loved this place." She smiled at me, I looked into her eyes, trying to find out her feelings and wondering at the same time whether it was working, I was shocked, she was nearly crying!

"What's the matter? Serena? What's wrong?" I asked shocked, I noticed that the tears were not of happiness but of sadness, of remembrance.

"My…my mother…used…love…place…loved…roses." She stammered through tears. She looked up to me; saw the pity in my eyes and her eyes hardened and she shrugged my arms from her and said coldly. "I don't need your pity, give it to someone else."

She ran off. I tried to chase her, thinking that she might hurt herself but was unable to catch up with her; she was too fast for me, and I was one the track team!

I watched as Serena ran out of sight and sighed. She was going to be impossible.

* * *

I ran all the way back to the home that I had lived in for all my life. There was a black Volvo in the drive. I wondered to whom it belonged to, dad can't drive so it couldn't be him. I then noticed there were people in the car. A man and a woman.

Deciding to ignore the people I go up to my house. As I was fitting the key into the lock the man and woman get out of the car and come up to me.

"Are you Miss Annabella Serena Kacy Tsukino?" Asked the woman to me.

"Maybe." I replied uncertainly. I was never called by my first name it was too long.

"You are only fifteen, so you are to go to a foster home, your father is too unstable to look after you and you have no other known relations." The man continued, giving me his career license, the woman followed suit.

"What is to happen to my home? What about my things? What about my education? I have been able to fend for myself since my mother got ill, why is it that you are here now?"

"We are not at liberty to say. You can keep everything in your house, and come back here any time, if we find you have slept here without your new foster parents permission though then you will not be allowed here at all. All the money from your mother's Will will be transferred to your bank account since all their money has been passed on to you, as well as the money from her life insurance. Can you unlock the door, let all of us go in, pack all the stuff you want to take, and then lock up please."

"Whatever." I replied quietly, I knew I couldn't argue with these people, I could make my foster parents life hell though. Hehehe.

I unlocked the door and we all went in. I rushed upstairs and went up the stairs into the loft. In the loft I brought down my travel bags, all of them, knowing that I would never see this house for a time.

"You have as long as you need to pack everything you want. Once you have all your stuff packed you can keep the key yourself but give the spare to your foster mother." The woman said through my bedroom door.

"Okay." Sighing, I packed away my clothes and toiletries in two large suitcases. I got my wooden box that had been my grandmothers, and packed away my personal keepsakes, albums full of pictures of me, mum, and friends, I noticed that in one of these pictures me and Darien, were smiling happily.

I remembered the time that this picture was taken, it was just before mum got ill, and she took the picture. Mum took Darien and me to the Lake and we paddled there, before Darien fell in, he then pushed me under and mum was laughed at us. Then she took the picture, when we were soaking. It had been such a wonderful day and it couldn't happen again. I had been a bitch to Darien and mum was dead.

"I'm packed." I called down the stairs.

The doorbell rung, I struggled down the stairs with suitcases and plunked them down in the hall and went to answer the door. The doorbell rang again.

I opened the door and Darien was there, about to ring the doorbell again.

"Don't bother, I'm here. What do you want now?" I asked, grudgingly.

"I thought I should help you ferry your stuff to Brad Whitten's place. I heard from him that you are getting fostered." He asked helpfully, but I could tell he thought I would shout.

I decided to surprise him and said sweetly. "Did you say _Brad Whitten_?"

"Yeah. He has a house your size, ten bedrooms; it will only be you, his sister Mary, him and his parents. Mary isn't Brad's real sister, she was adopted. The house is lovely, and I live next door so I can take you to school, aren't you lucky?"

"Not particularly." My mood just got worse, Brad was annoying, I couldn't wait to live with him. Not.

The woman (Miss Cartwright apparently) came up to the door, behind me. "Who are you?" She asked pointedly, (thinking that we were a couple).

"I'm Darien, I heard Serena was packing and so decided to help ferry, I know how much stuff she has." I hated him; he gave the impression that we _were_ a couple. At the same time though, scarily, I _wanted_ to be his girlfriend. I knew he wouldn't treat me wrong. Like my father did to my mother.

"Okay then, thank you for the help. Do you know 21a Malabo Street?" The man had come up too and he interrupted our conversation.

"Yeah, my friend lives there." Darien replied happily.

After I brought everything down I noticed that there wasn't actually much there, I hadn't brought all I wanted, I was going to go back to the house and get more stuff later. The man and woman from social services brought the suitcases and I was ferried into Darien's car with my two boxes. And the journey began.

As we parked at the house, Brad and a woman met me at the door. The woman came to me and shook my hand awkwardly then hugged me hard. Brad stayed at the door.

"Brad, dear, help Annabella with her cases." Ordered the woman to Brad. Brad's forehead creased, he didn't know that my first name was Annabella! I forgot about that. He then saw me struggling and came to me.

"So are you Annabella? I always thought your name was Serena?" He asked me quietly.

"It is. Well Serena is my middle name, Annabella is too long." I said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, right. Thanks for telling me. Annabella." He smiled.

"That's quite all right. Bradmund."

"No, it isn't Bradmund, if you have to know it's Bradley, I know you're taking the piss 'cause I'm taking the piss so I suppose I deserve it, Hey, we act like brother and sister already! Come on, I'll show you to your room. Let me take that bag." He said taking my bag off of me. I smiled gratefully; I had been struggling with that bag but didn't want to say so.

Brad led me upstairs to a long hallway, I followed him to the last door, he opened it for me and let me go in, it was a wonderful room. It felt almost like home.

"It's lovely. Thanks." I said happily.

"It's okay. I hope you are feeling better. Are you going to try out for 'band?"

"I think I will. Where is it?"

"That's the lucky thing, it's simply in the basement, I have a soundproof room there, and mum brought me instruments, I can play them, the drums, piano, guitar, it helps so that we can practice and make up songs there, without anyone getting annoyed with the racket we make."

"Cool. Well, suppose I'd better get unpacked if I'm to live here.


	2. Chapter 2

The Band

By SmellDRoses

Chapter One: If i have to live here...I suppose I can.

Authors Note: A Load of these songs will be from Evanescence, because to tell you the truth, they work. Please review and tell me what you think. There is no scout action in this story, to tell you the truth, it wouldnt have worked if there was. The rest is self-explainitory!

* * *

The Band

Chapter Two

* * *

_i believe in you_

_i'll give up everything just to find you_

_i have to be with you to live to breathe_

_you're taking over me_

_i look in the mirror and see your face_

_if i look deep enough_

_so many things inside that are just like you _

_are taking over"_ Serena sang. She had been living with Brad and his family for three months now and she was in the band, she had an amazing voice that the entire band had loved immediately.

Serena had written the song that she had just sung, she had also written the music to accompany it. The song sounded haunting, sad and wonderful. Serena's voice coiled around the boys and they seemed hypnotized and found that they had to concentrate harder to play their instruments.

Brad was on the keyboard but most of the time he couldn't be heard over the heavy drums and the guitars, (except when Serena and Brad had duets). Blaise was on the bass guitar, Darien was on the electric guitar, and another boy, Marcus, was on the drums, and Serena was singing, sometimes Darien sang too, but he was a backer. They all complemented one another so the music seemed positively haunting, that's what they decided to call themselves, "The Haunting".

"I made another song too, I don't know what you'll think of it though, it's all about a girl who was woken up from the inside, and she's sorry for the things she had done, can you tell me what you think of it?" Serena asked timidly yet confidently, she had changed so much in the three months, the dye in her hair had finally washed off and she was left with coffee coloured hair, which glittered and was soft and thick… She still wore gothic make up sometimes but she didn't back chat the teachers so much. She had changed for the better.

"Brilliant, have you any music for it? This band has become better than it was, it sounds better. And we have new songs too." Darien said happily. He fancied Serena so much more than he had and thought that she liked him but he wasn't sure _how_ much she liked him.

"Yeah, here are the sheets of music, do you get the idea? I didn't do anything for you, Marcus, because I knew you like to improvise, I wrote you three an idea, you can change it as much as you like though, here's the words though. Everything in the brackets you guys are meant to say, but I'll leave that out for now." Serena took a deep breath and without knowing it all the boys were on the edge of their seats, waiting in suspense on the song. It came and, as usual it blew them all away. Brad started the tune on his keyboard and Serena started to sing. Everyone started at the right places; it was a good song, a haunting song.

"_how can you see into my eyes like open doors_

_leading you down into my core_

_where i've become so numb _

_without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold _

_until you find it there and lead it back home _

_wake me up inside_

_wake me up inside_

_call my name and save me from the dark_

_bid my blood to run_

_before i come undone_

_save me from the nothing i've become_

_now that i know what i'm without_

_you can't just leave me_

_breathe into me and make me real_

_bring me to life_

_wake me up inside_

_wake me up inside_

_call my name and save me from the dark_

_bid my blood to run_

_before i come undone_

_save me from the nothing i've become_

_bring me to life_

_frozen inside without your touch _

_without your love darling _

_only you are the life among the dead_

_all this time i can't believe i couldn't see_

_kept in the dark but you were there in front of me_

_i've been sleeping a thousand years it seems_

_got to open my eyes to everything_

_without a thought without a voice without a soul_

_don't let me die here_

_there must be something more_

_bring me to life…_Was that okay?" Serena asked the boys, it was such a brilliant song, how was it she was able to come up with all this?

"That was, that was amazing! How did you come up with it?" Asked Marcus in awe.

"I dunno." Serena said quietly.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, we have a booking, on Saturday night at a club, down town, apparently they have seen our Website, listened to our songs and wants us to do a live gig! Isn't that good?" Darien told the band.

"Cool." The three said in unison. Marcus seemed to be less pleased than the rest of them. Serena seemed like she was ready to rumble, Darien opened his mouth and smiled a wide smile "We had better practice then."

The band nodded in unison, they all felt they needed to practice.

* * *

The night came swiftly and Marcus, Blaise and Darien stayed at Brad's house Friday night so they could pack in some band practice, Serena sang shakily but slowly got more confident, the whole school had heard about the bands first public appearance since Serena had joined and the band heard that they were all going to the club to see what we would be like.

The time came and Brad's parents took Brad, Darien, Marcus, Blaise and Serena to the club. They entered the club through the performers entrance and Serena split off from the rest of the band to get changed, we hadn't needed to bring any clothes, we were being fitted and clothes were going to be given to us. I wondered what they would be like.

Finally the time came and we met Serena on the sidelines of the stage, she looked amazing, I saw Darien's eyes pop out and felt like hugging her, she was positively glowing.

She was wearing a short white mini-dress with long arms that flared down, the rest of the dress fitted her like a second skin, and was torn in places such as hip and on one side, to show of some skin and I could tell you, she looked hot! She turned to face us and smiled timidly, her lips had been painted a deep red and her eyes were black, she looked brilliant.

She contrasted us boys; we had plain black cotton t-shirts that stuck to us, and black Levis jeans, and finally biker boots, me and Marcus wore black leather jackets too. Serena was so going to stand out.

Serena's eyes opened wide when she took in what we were wearing. "Oh my god! I'm going to stand out so much; this dress is way too small for me! I can't believe I was persuaded into wearing it! I don't think I can do this." She run her fingers through her straight and silky hair, distress evident on her face.

"You look amazing, don't worry, the crowd will love you." Darien said, going up to her, she didn't resist him when he reached down and held her tight in his arms, didn't resist when he kissed her. I felt myself gasp in wonder; I never thought that they both liked each other so passionately. Sparks are going to fly before the night has passed. I thought happily.

Finally they parted and it was time to go onto the stage. We all gulped and went on, Serena coming on last. In the crowds I glimpsed loads of people from school, I even saw Mr Sneershope in the crowd! I suppose he had heard that we were playing and wanted to know what we had been doing instead of attending art lessons.

Spotlights shone on us all individually and I could no longer see anyone, it was as if we were in the practice room the first time Serena was singing, for the audition when she was obstinate that we were going to laugh at her so we had to turn all the lights off, now she didn't do that.

The first song was one of the old ones that we had changed so Serena could sing it, 'Haunted.' This was the song that Serena had amazed us with so many months ago, a song that was my favourite.

"Hi, our first song is called Haunted, it's one of our Favourites, I can only hope you like it as much as us." Serena said then she started, her voice was amazing and strong, and I could see her in front of me swaying to the music.

"Long lost words whisper slowly to me,  
still can't find what keeps me here,  
when all this time i've been so hollow inside.  
I know you're still there.

Watching me, wanting me.  
I can feel you pull me down,  
fearing you loving you.  
I won't let you pull me down.

Hunting you, i can smell you - alive.  
Your heart pounding in my head.

Watching me, wanting me.  
I can feel you pull me down,  
saving me, raping me,  
watching me?" She finished the song and I heard clapping, everyone had liked it, I even heard wolf whistles and a boy call, "Darling, you can leave with me!"

"This song is called Bring me to life, before we sing it though, I'm going to introduce us all, Serena is the lead singer, Marcus is the guy on the drums, the guy on the bass guitar is Blaise, Darien is the guy on the electric guitar and I'm Brad. Here goes." I said confidently, inside I was the exact opposite.

"how can you see into my eyes like open doors

leading you down into my core

where i've become so numb

without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold

until you find it there and lead it back home

wake me up inside

wake me up inside

call my name and save me from the dark

bid my blood to run

before i come undone

save me from the nothing i've become

now that i know what i'm without

you can't just leave me

breathe into me and make me real

bring me to life

wake me up inside

wake me up inside

call my name and save me from the dark

bid my blood to run

before i come undone

save me from the nothing i've become

bring me to life

frozen inside without your touch

without your love darling

only you are the life among the dead

all this time i can't believe i couldn't see

kept in the dark but you were there in front of me

i've been sleeping a thousand years it seems

got to open my eyes to everything

without a thought without a voice without a soul

don't let me die here

there must be something more

bring me to life

" Serena ended, the song ended, I could feel the agreement rather than hear it now, and they seemed to be silent so we wouldn't pause.

After ten more songs we finished, or so we thought, the crowd cheered us for more, they told us to sing 'hello' again. It seemed to be one of the crowd's favourite songs.

"_Playground school bell rings again_

_Rain clouds come to play again_

_Has no one told you she not breathing?_

_Hello?_

_I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to _

_Hello_

_If I smile and don't believe _

_Soon I'll know I'll wake from this dream_

_Don't try to fix me I'm not broken_

_Hello, I'm the lie living for you so you can hide_

_Don't cry _

Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping

_Hello I'm still here_

_All that's left of yesterday." _The song was ended and even though the crowd was screaming for more we left the stage for the other band, we decided to stay for a little before I rang up Dad to take us home; we were all sleeping at mine again. We stayed in the clothes provided for us since we couldn't be bothered to change again.

Immediately, Darien asked Serena for a dance and they danced together, Blaise, Marcus and I sat at an empty table, talking about instruments and our favourite bands. Two girls came up to us and asked whether me and Marcus would dance, I asked Blaise whether he minded being on his own and he said no. I went off with them. I could see Serena the best in the crowd because a UV light was on and she glowed. Blaise was asked to dance too; but he sat down before the rest of us though, wanting to keep the table.

I went back to Blaise and we watched Serena and Darien kiss one another without breathing for over three minutes. We smiled at one another and wondered how Serena and Darien would act in the morning, would they still love one another or would they simply ignore one another.

"Let's break those two up, I don't want to be told off by my mum for letting my new 'sis get his heart stomped on. Darien never seems to stick to one girl." I told Blaise, worried.

"Maybe Darien was trying to find another Serena, before her Mum died, Darien and Serena were going out properly, after she died though, Serena went cold, I think she wrote 'Bring me to Life' to tell us subconsciously about what she has been through, and tell Darien thanks.

"True, God, you sure know what people are going through!"

* * *

"Will you go out with me?" My heart pounded at the words, I so wanted to go out with him.

"Yes!" I said happily, Darien's face widened and he hugged me hard, we stayed linked, his hand in mine, entwined, forever.

"Oh, there you are, Serena, so, you two going out? I bet you're glad, Darien." Brad said with a knowing smile, he and the other boys had come up to us and took in Darien holding my hand.

"How do you know? I never said anything about asking her out to you lot." Darien asked, confused. I too was confused, what did they mean?

"Well, you never did shut up about her last night." Marcus said smiling happily for us.

"Oh, right." We beamed at each other like lovesick puppies. We had it bad.

Six months had passed. Serena and Darien were still going out. The band was getting more and more popular by the day and we released a couple new songs. Brad's Mom, who Serena thought of as a second Mom, to look after her when her Mom was 'away' dropped some big news.

"Serena, me and my husband Dom, would like to adopt you, we don't want you to leave us, I don't think it would be very good for your future and also we don't want you to have to move far from your house. Would you like to live with us permanently? It would mean that when you were sixteen, you wouldn't have to leave this home, actually we would like it if you would stay. Uh, would you like to be adopted by us?" Nicky asked carefully to Serena.

"I would love to! Would I have to give up my mum's house though?" Serena asked, worried, she really wanted to get adopted by this family who were all so nice to her, and Brad was becoming a good brother, she had been an only child and she hadn't the experience of having any brothers or sisters, now she had one of each.

"No, you wouldn't have to. You would have to live here though, I wouldn't mind if you went there and stayed there for a night or two, but that's really it."

"I'd love too!"

Serena ran downstairs to the basement, where the rest of the band was setting up. "Guess what!" She shouted. The boys looked up. "I'm getting a family!"

"Do you mean…I'm…going to…be…" Brad asked, dumbstruck.

"Yeah!" Brad ran and hugged her.

"Hey, that's my girl!" Darien shouted playfully, and walked up to me. I hugged him and kissed him on the lips, letting his tongue enter my mouth.

"Get a room!" Blaise shouted playfully.

"Okay then," Darien murmured in my ear. "Lets go to yours!" He put his hand in my back pocket of my jeans and we started to walk off.

"Oh no you don't. That's going to be my sister, I don't want you going into her room, what are you going to do?" Brad answered, stopping us in our tracks.

"Oh, not much." Darien answered airily, he and I looked in the eyes and I blushed.

"Let's just practice, okay." Blaise called out, hitting the drums.

"Okay then, I suppose we could." We played better than we had ever before, I was so excited about everything.


End file.
